Various types of assistive apparatus for physically challenged individuals are known in the art. Individuals that have significant physical disabilities utilize assistive apparatus such as but not limited to motorized wheelchairs to provide independent mobility for the user thereof. These devices are conventionally controlled by various interfaces such as but not limited to arm mounted joysticks, buttons, oral interfaces and the like. For many users, these conventional controls do not provide the best technique to interface with and control the apparatus.
Some individuals require alternate interface techniques that are more suited to their specific needs. Examples of existing technology include voice recognition technology and mouth operated devices. Mouth operated devices facilitate interface with a device such as but not limited to an assistive apparatus and provide a user with limited limb mobility a technique to control various apparatus. While some mouth operated input devices are known in the art, deficiencies in the field include but are not limited to the ability to control more than one device simultaneously and provide a plurality of actuators to operably engage various apparatus.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mouth operated input system that includes a device having a plurality of actuators configured to provide control of a single device and/or provide the ability to interface with and control more than one device. Additionally, a software interface that provides learned user behavior and a adaptive reaction thereto.